Leftover Stuffing Waffles

This can hardly be called a recipe. It is more like a really good idea. But it is a really good idea and I had it. We always have too much stuffing/ dressing. This is an excellent way to use it up.

• Servings:  2 waffles
• Time:  Prep: 5 minutes, cooking: 5-7 minutes per waffle
• Hardware:  A bowl, a spatula, tongs, a waffle iron

 

Leftover Stuffing Waffles

Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 2 cups of leftover stuffing
• Cooking spray
• Gravy or heated cranberry sauce for serving

1.  You will need one egg for every 2 cups of stuffing. Just mix the egg into the stuffing, spray the waffle iron generously with cooking spray and cook the stuffing as if it were a waffle.
2. You can top the waffle with warm gravy, an egg or heated up cranberry sauce.

Simple Vinaigrette

This is the most basic vinaigrette. Simple is best.  The basic formula for salad dressing is 3 parts oil to one part vinegar. 
You can make this dressing your own:

• Use different vinegars like white wine vinegar, champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar
• Substitute part or all of the vinegar with citrus juice
• Honey or brown sugar can be used instead of white sugar
• You can also infuse the vinaigrette with almost any herb
• A splash of Dijon mustard, soy sauce, or horseradish will give your dressing a little kick

Just play around.  I made this for my Beet and Goat Cheese Salad.  I replaced part of the vinegar with orange juice. I also used honey instead of sugar.

Servings:  2 cups

Time:  10 minutes
Hardware:  Cutting board and knives, measuring spoons and cups, a bowl and a whisk, a glass jar with a lid (or a salad dressing bottle), a funnel

Ingredients: 

• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot (can substitute 1 teaspoon dried mined onion)
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cup light extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)
• ½ cup balsamic vinegar

1. Place the vinegar, sugar, and salt in the bowl and whisk until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour everything into the jar.  Add the rest of the ingredients and shake like crazy.  Store in the fridge.

Ranch Dressing

I like to make my own salad dressing.  Bottled dressing always has a strange aftertaste. Maybe it is the xanthum gum or disodium phosphate…Who knows?  This will not taste like the stuff you make with the dry package of strange chemicals.  I think it tastes better.  I know that it is better for you.  I made this jar for my Ranch  Chicken Sandwiches.

Servings: 1¾ cups   Time: 10 minutes

Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a knife and cutting board, a whisk, a plastic spatula, a mixing bowl, and an airtight container.

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup mayonnaise
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• ¼ cup sour cream
• 1 ½ tablespoon minced chives
• 1 tablespoon minced parsley
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon FRESH ground black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic

Better when homemade

Mince the chives and parsley.  Mash the garlic. Shake the buttermilk vigorously. Whisk everything together.  Store the Ranch Dressing in the fridge until you are ready to use it.  Allow the dressing to rest for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight to allow the flavors to meld.  This will keep for a week if you keep it refrigerated.

Lime-Ginger-Garlic Dressing

We recently returned from a week in St. Martin.  While there, we sailed  one day from sunrise to sunset on the catamaran, the Celine.  The water was beautiful blue-green and clear as glass.  We spent the day swimming, snorkeling, and even took a mud bath.  Celine's captain, Neil, prepared lunch for us in the catamaran’s galley.  The food was insanely wonderful.  This is inspired by that lunch.

I prefer to make my own dressing.  I have even made my own mayonnaise at times, but I won’t go there in the interest of making this simple.  You can tweak this by omitting the cayenne or amping it up a bit.  If the dressing doesn’t have enough ginger flavor for you, add some powdered ginger.  The flavor of powdered spices is much more concentrated than fresh. Same goes for the garlic.  You could even substitute other citrus fruit for the lime. 

 Servings:  1 ¼  cups

Time: 10 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a zester, a whisk, a plastic spatula, an airtight container

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• zest and juice from 1 large lime (You’ll need 3 tablespoons juice)
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• pinch cayenne pepper

Tart, tangy, sweet, with a little bite
Great as a salad dressing

1. Zest and juice the lime. 
2. Mash the garlic.
3. Whisk everything together. 
4. Store the Lime-Ginger-Garlic Dressing in the fridge until you are ready to use it.  Allow the dressing to rest for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight, to allow the flavors to meld.  The dressing will keep for 3-4 days if you store it in the refrigerator.

I served this on a mixed green salad with strawberries, walnuts, and Parmesan cheese.  I think it would be wonderful as a dip for fried shrimp or as a condiment on crab cakes or with Fish Tacos.

I also used this as a sauce for Caribbean Grouper.

Creamy Feta Dressing

I enjoy making my own dressing.  Homemade dressing is much tastier (and healthier) than store bought dressing and can come in as many varieties as you can dream up.

Servings:  1½ cups

Time:  5 minutes
Hardware:  Cutting board and knives, a bowl, a whisk, a glass jar with an airtight lid (or a salad dressing bottle)

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• ¼ cup sour cream 
• 1 tablespoon Greek seasoning (you can make your own)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 1 ½ teaspoons dried garlic
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ cup crumbled feta

Whisk all the ingredients except the feta until everything is thoroughly mixed.  Fold in the crumbled feta.  This can be served right away or allowed to rest in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld.  This can be stored in the fridge for 3 days.

Serve this over Greek Steak Salad. 

Or for a quick lunch or dinner, stuff a warm pita pocket with chicken fingers or Greek Chicken, chopped tomatoes, chopped cucumbers and feta.  Finish it with Creamy Feta Dressing.




Creamy Feta Dressing over Greek Chicken

Lemon Caper Butter Sauce

This sauce is perfect as a condiment with fish, shrimp, crab cakes, or even baked chicken. Double the recipe and toss over angle hair pasta for an easy but impressive side dish.  

Servings:  ¼ cup

Time: 5 minutes
Hardware:  Measuring cups and spoons, a zester, spoon, a saucepan

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter (½ stick)
• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed (buy tiny capers)
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• A pinch of kosher salt
• 2 grinds of fresh cracked pepper.

1. Crush the garlic, zest and juice the lemon
2. Over medium heat melt the butter in the sauce pan.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients except the salt and pepper.  Simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Salt and pepper to taste.  Serve right away.

I whipped this up to top my Parmesan Potato Crusted Tilapia. Yum!

Honey Mustard Dressing

This is simple, but tasty.  I use it as a dipping sauce or a salad dressing.  Honey mustard is Jeff's favorite.

Servings: 1 cup

Time: Prep: 5 minutes:
Hardware: Measuring cups and spoons, a whisk, a bowl, a storage container with a lid

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup mayonnaise
• ⅓ cup mustard
• ⅓ cup honey
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

Whisk everything together. Refrigerate until serving. This can be stored in the fridge for up to a week.

Pear Infused White Wine Vinaigrette

Pears infuse this dressing with a delicate fruit flavor

I enjoy making my own dressing. Homemade dressing is much tastier than store bought dressing and can come in as many varieties as you can dream up.

Servings: 2 cups

Time: 10 minutes

Hardware: Cutting board and knives, pot, measuring spoons and cups, a blender, a glass jar with a lid (or a salad dressing bottle)

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe pears
• ½ cup white wine
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ cup white wine vinegar (you can use champagne vinegar or rice wine vinegar)
• 1 ½ cup light extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)
• S&P

1. Peel, core, and chop the pears. Boil them in the ½ cup of white wine. Simmer the pears until they are very soft and most of the wine is absorbed. This will take about 3-4 minutes. Remove the pears from the heat and allow them to cool. Strain the pears.
2. Put the pears and all the other ingredients except the oil and the S&P into the blender and pulse until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds.
3. With the blender running, SLOWLY pour the olive oil in so the dressing will emulsify. Salt & pepper to taste.
4. This can be made ahead, placed in an airtight container, and stored in the fridge for up to a week. Shake well before serving.

You can use different fruits for different flavors. Peaches, a cup of strawberries, apricots, apples, or a cup of raspberries would also work. If using berries (raspberries, blackberries,  strawberries) mash them up in the wine after boiling them. Strain the wine and use the wine rather than the berries themselves.

Serve this over my Pear and Feta Salad.

Caesar Salad Dressing

This salad is most often attributed to Caesar Cardini, an Italian-Mexican (Could there be a better combination??) He lived part of the time in California but worked in Tijuana to avoid Prohibition. (Okay, a pro-alcohol, Italian-Mexican-Can this guy get any better????)

The original recipe didn't contain anchovies, but I don't care. I like anchovies.

Servings: 1 cup
Time: 3 minutes
Hardware: Measuring spoons & cups, a blender

Ingredients:

• 2 cloves of crushed garlic
• 2 eggs*
• 1/8 cup FRESH lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 anchovies
• ½ teaspoon capers
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (the best you can afford)
• S&P

1.  Put all the ingredients except the oil & the S&P into the blender and blend until the mixture is smooth, about 30 seconds.
2. With the blender running, SLOWLY pour the olive oil in so the dressing will emulsify.
3. Salt & pepper to taste.

This can be made ahead, placed in an airtight container, and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days. Stir again before using to make a wonderful Caesar Salad.

* There is a slight risk of salmonella from using raw eggs. If you prefer you can substitute 2 tablespoons of GOOD mayo for the eggs. However, unless you or your guests are pregnant, children under the age of 10, or have a compromised immune system, I’d use the eggs.